Low output - Aria Pro II

B

BassManLI

Jan 3, 2020
10
2
2,531
#1
I recently acquired a 1983 Aria Pro II SB-1000. It seems to be all original and in good condition.

The main problem is that the output level is very low. Also when I disengage the BB circuit it generates a lot of noise.

I put in two new 9V batteries for the active electronics.

I would appreciate advice on what may be the problem and how I can trouble shoot / narrow down the cause.

TIA
 
#2
It could be dirty pots or any number of things. Firstly, pull the preamp and see if passive mode is still noisy. Are the pots noisy in use? Another possibility is that it's the jack socket. They can break internally, causing all sorts of chaos. I can replace your preamp, however I think it's worth isolating the cause rather than throwing parts at the problem.
 
#3
Prostheta said:
It could be dirty pots or any number of things. Firstly, pull the preamp and see if passive mode is still noisy. Are the pots noisy in use? Another possibility is that it's the jack socket. They can break internally, causing all sorts of chaos. I can replace your preamp, however I think it's worth isolating the cause rather than throwing parts at the problem.
Click to expand...

I cleaned all the pots with spray cleaner. No noise when operating them. The main problem is the very low output from the guitar.
 
#5
Welcome to TalkBass!

We need a little clarification. Low output as compared to what? What other basses/pickups have you played with the same amp that have a lot more output?
 
#6
MB-1E pickups (having a passive mode tells me this is an 80s bass) are loud pickups, so low output in both modes implies either a fault with the pickup itself or within the discrete components (jack, pots, etc). It's best checking the latter before we're looking at bigger ticket items like the pickup (rautiaguitars.net) or preamps (which I fabricate). I'm suspecting pickup, but clean those pots up just in case. Any chance of a cavity photo or two in case something is visibly untoward, altered or obviously not right?
 
#9
These are active electronics so I replaced the 2 9V batteries. Here are some pics. How would I raise the pickup position? What readings should I be looking for on my multimeter when checking the different components aside from continuity.

20200102_202847698_iOS (2).jpg
20200102_203310352_iOS (2).jpg
 
#11
two fingers said:
Welcome to TalkBass!

We need a little clarification. Low output as compared to what? What other basses/pickups have you played with the same amp that have a lot more output?
Click to expand...

I have MIM Fender Jazz, Squier Fretless, Epiphone Jack Cassady and an active Carvin BB75. All of them are booming compared to the Aria, the person I got it from acknowledged the issue but did not know the origin. He claimed to have owned it since the 80's but had not been playing it for a while.
 
#13
My money is on the pickup. It should read 11,8kOhms when out of circuit. The epoxy potting of the pickup hides the cause of failure so all you have is the DCR reading and apparent volume. If you're taking the pickup out of circuit to read it, you can also wire it straight to a jack to rule out issues within the circuit.
 
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#14
What happen with this bass? Did you solve the problem?
I wonder because I have the same problem with my SB600. My Aria Heritage Laser Electric is much louder with more punch and bass.
 
#15
Prostheta said:
My money is on the pickup. It should read 11,8kOhms when out of circuit. The epoxy potting of the pickup hides the cause of failure so all you have is the DCR reading and apparent volume. If you're taking the pickup out of circuit to read it, you can also wire it straight to a jack to rule out issues within the circuit.
Click to expand...
Yes, the pickup is known to fail. I remember reading about one of the popular boutique pickup makers who was surprised to see the Japanese head of Aria thanking him for being able to fix/ rewind some Aria pickups that they themselves were unable to fix. Might have been Curtis Novak.
 
#17
Prostheta said:
Given how the pickups were encapsulated and constructed internally with moulded ABS bobbin armatures, that's quite the job!
Click to expand...
I don’t know how he would have done it. Maybe mill out the entire mess and pop in a new unit?. I dunno. He said that when he saw him approaching him he thought the Japanese guy was looking to take his head off, but it was quite the opposite. This was supposed to be at some guitar show in Texas I believe.
 
#18
I've had moderate success using heat to separate the ABS/styrene case, however I think solvents like MEK might be a possibility. I haven't truly had the impetus or requirement of gutting a pickup with the intention of repairing it, just recording the internals for reference and understanding. The bobbins are fairly easy to separate from the epoxy, as are the magnets. I would imagine that given careful removal from the case, these are all you would need to effect a rewind and re-encapsulation. Entirely possible, if somewhat overkill. Still, client pays right?
 
#19
Prostheta said:
I've had moderate success using heat to separate the ABS/styrene case, however I think solvents like MEK might be a possibility. I haven't truly had the impetus or requirement of gutting a pickup with the intention of repairing it, just recording the internals for reference and understanding. The bobbins are fairly easy to separate from the epoxy, as are the magnets. I would imagine that given careful removal from the case, these are all you would need to effect a rewind and re-encapsulation. Entirely possible, if somewhat overkill. Still, client pays right?
Click to expand...
Beats having an unusable instrument for sure.
 
#20
I cleaned all the electronics and was able to raise the pickup. That had a positive effect of increasing the output.

It still has a lot of noise when the active circuit is engaged, though. Any advice on how to solve that issue?
 
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